164 ON THE BLIGHT OF THE OAKS. 



In treating upon Coccinella Ocellata, the author 

 observes, that the genus Coccinella " is at once 

 a remarkable example of the value of structure 

 in the combination of groups, and of the little 

 importance of the distribution of colour, when 

 employed to distinguish species. As a genus, 

 Coccinella is so natural, that its appellation has 

 never been disturbed ; whereas, the species com- 

 posing it are so variable, that many of them 

 have been described under a great variety of 

 names." Mr. Curtis, without alluding to sexual 

 distinctions, brings together the following syno- 

 nimes, under the specific name dispar. '*Pan- 

 therina and annulata Linn. Don. 7.243.2. — Ci- 

 punctata and 6-pustulata Linn. Don. 2.39.3. — 

 unifascia and 4-pustulata Fab. Don. 7.243.3. — 

 perforata and 7-pustulata Mar. — 4-punctata Don. 

 16.542." Recent researches have induced Mr. 

 Hobson to coincide with me in the opinion, 

 that the distribution of colour affords no criterion 

 which will serve to distinguish the sexes of C. 

 dispar. 



